Tax numbers up 10 percent

Taxable sales increased nearly 10 percent statewide in November.

The only exception was Douglas County which, reported a 3.2 percent drop in taxable sales. Total taxable sales there were $58.6 million.

Carson City, on the other hand, reported a 3.8 percent increase in taxable sales for the month to $78.9 million.

Statewide, total sales were up 9.9 percent to $3.74 billion. That brings the overall increase for the first five months of fiscal 2006 to 11.5 percent as Nevada's strong economic growth continues.

Unlike recent months where rural areas struggled, but were pulled up by the urban areas, those counties were almost all showing double-digit growth in November.

Growth was 8.9 percent totaling $2.7 billion in Clark County and 8.4 percent at $554.8 million in Washoe.

Meanwhile, Storey reported a 130 percent increase from the same month of 2004 to $9.95 million in taxable sales and Eureka a 138 percent increase to $27.6 million. The increase was 69.4 percent in Lander and 77.1 percent in Lincoln, 59.9 percent in White Pine and 54.8 percent in Esmeralda County. Pershing and Humboldt were both up more than 30 percent and Elko reported a 21.2 percent increase.

The resurgence of Nevada's mining industry helped those rural totals significantly. Statewide, taxable sales for the metal mining industry were up 47.5 percent for the month.

Wholesale trade in durable goods was up 28.6 percent and miscellaneous retail sales up 10.6 percent. In addition, sales by eating and drinking places rose 13.3 percent compared with November 2004.

But sales by auto dealers, which have helped carry the Carson City area for years, were nearly flat at just seven-tenths of a percent above last year.

-- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.